


Like Father Like Son

by PloppyPlops



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: F/M, Father-Son Relationship, I don't know what else to really tag this with, Rock collecting I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23017960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PloppyPlops/pseuds/PloppyPlops
Summary: Ephraim discovers that his son shares a similar hobby that his younger self had.
Relationships: Ephlivia - Relationship
Kudos: 7





	Like Father Like Son

**Author's Note:**

> This is something small that I wrote several months ago, but never uploaded. Why? I can't remember. But anyways, here it is. Just some small stuff between Ephraim and a smol Inigo. Maybe I'll write more like this in the future, who knows.

Running through the halls of the castle, Inigo clutched the wooden box tightly against his chest, the contents rattling loudly with each stride his little legs took. He couldn’t believe he’d found such a treasure lying around like this… he was almost too excited to stop and answer the questions of those he passed by. Maids and other servants all watching as he raced his way through the castle, each one curious what had the boy so excited. Rounding a corner, he nearly crashed into one of the patrolling knights, narrowly avoiding the man while yelling a breathy "Sorry!" as he continued to run down the hall. 

Rushing past Myrrh’s room, he finally reached his destination, short of breath and more excited than he’d been in months. During the winter, it was difficult for him to find new additions to his ever growing collection, so he’d almost given up on doing so. But in his eyes, he’d hit the jackpot. 

Throwing the door to his room open then promptly shutting it a moment later, the teal haired boy leapt onto his bed, excitedly panting as he set the box down in front of him. He was out of breath, but couldn’t stand waiting a minute to catch it. After dusting off the top and undoing the latches, he threw the lid open, eyes widening as he was able to again behold the contents. He’d had a peek when he first found the box, but now was able to marvel at them fully. 

“Whoa…” He muttered, reaching in to pull one of the small rocks out, holding it up closer to get a better look while running his thumb across the smooth surface. “So cool…” 

He turned the stone over in his fingers, his lips curling into a permanent smile as he looked it over. After a minute, he set it back into the box, sliding it into the section he’d taken it from. Not a moment passed before he had another rock within his grasp, examining it in a similar manner to the previous one. His eyes sparkled with wonder as his breathing slowed to a normal pace, the boy looking for and noting every single detail he could. 

While collecting rocks wasn’t that strange of a hobby, especially for a young child, he largely kept this a secret from everyone, save for his sister. Myrrh didn’t hold as much of an interest in this sort of thing like he did, but she still listened to him when he showed off any new finds, like a good older sister would. He couldn’t wait to tell her about this! 

Unluckily for Inigo though, he would only get another few minutes to himself before a knock rang out from the door, followed by a familiar voice.

“Inigo? Are you in there?” Ephraim called through the wood. 

His smile faded instantly, replaced by a look of unbridled fear. Inigo glances towards the door, then back to the box sitting in his lap. Quickly returning the stone to its section, he slammed the lid shut, not bothering to do close the latches.

“J-Just a minute, father!” He called back with a panicked voice. 

After frantically looking around the room for a place to hide his newfound ‘treasure’, he decided the best place was under the bed. But in the process of hopping off the bed to do this, he fumbled the landing, hitting the stone floor with a thud. The box fell out of his arms and clattered in front of him, the impact causing the lid to fly open, allowing the contents of the box to spill out. Hearing these sounds, it seemed the boy’s father ran out of patience, becoming concerned for his son. 

“Inigo?!” Ephraim called again. “What are you-”

Pushing the door open, he trailed off, the look of concern that had momentarily taken hold of his face dropping. Dozens and dozens of rocks were scattered about the floor, with Inigo quickly scrambling to his knees to try and collect them before looking up to the king with a horrified look. 

“F-Father… I…” 

“Inigo,” Ephraim replied, stepping forward and closing the door behind him. “Where did you find this?” 

Inigo’s worst fears were coming to life. He felt like everything was over, that his father would laugh and make a mockery of him, and maybe even mother as well. The whole kingdom would think of him as a fool. He met the king's eyes for a moment before looking to the floor, letting go of the rock he held in his hand.. Hands curled into fists that rested upon his knees as he quivered. 

“Inigo, I asked you a question.” Repeated Ephraim while coming closer, taking care to not step on anything. “Please, answer me.” 

“Yes, father…” The boy nodded, tears beginning to form in his eyes. “I found it in a closet in the east wing… I-I was exploring, and wondered what was inside! I didn’t mean to get into trouble…” 

“Trouble?” Ephraim raised an eyebrow to this. “Why would you be in trouble?” 

“B-Because… one of the servants told me not to go in there, but I still did…” More tears started to flow as he shut his eyes. “Isn’t that why you came? To… get mad at me?” 

He knew it wasn’t right, but he couldn’t help it. Ephraim began to laugh, coming over to sit down beside his son, letting out a small grunt as he settled down and crossed his legs. He knew Inigo was only a boy, just a child of six years, but he simply was unable to keep himself from finding the humor in the situation. 

“Inigo, I’m not angry with you.” 

“Wh… what?” 

Ephraim placed a hand upon Inigo's back, gently rubbing it for a moment. The boy looked up to his father with blurry eyes, his lower lip quivering slightly. 

“Why would I be angry? You didn't do anything wrong. I did the same sort of thing when I was your age… Though I actually got into real trouble, usually dragging your aunt along into it.” He gave his back a small pat while laughing a bit more. “I’m not upset with you though, okay?” 

“Father…” 

Inigo sniffled while wiping tears away on his sleeve before diving in to bury his face against Ephraim's robes, sobbing lightly against the fabric. Ephraim smiled, looking down at the boy while wrapping an arm around him, the other coming to rest on his head, gently stroking his aqua hair. 

“Come now… there’s nothing to cry over. You’re alright.” 

He spoke in a calming tone, closing his eyes while he comforted the crying child. Even if there was no real reason for him to be crying like this, Ephraim had learned this was just how children could be at times, especially Inigo. He always was a sensitive boy. 

“Though I am surprised… you managed to find part of my old collection.” Ephraim said after Inigo eventually started calming down, looking over the scattered stones.

Inigo opened his eyes, lifting his head up to look at his father. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, maybe Ephraim was just saying something to make him feel better?

“Um… wh-what did you say?” 

“My old collection.” He repeated, reaching out to pick up one of the nearby pieces. “That’s what this box is. Of course there’s no way you could have known that…” He chuckled as a sense of nostalgia washed over him. “I haven’t seen it in years.” 

Inigo shifted his position, moving to where he sat up on Ephraim’s lap now, with the man's arm still around him. He looked back and forth between the rock his dad was holding and his face, almost in disbelief. 

“You… had rocks when you were young?” He questioned after wiping his eyes once more.

“Mhmm.” He nodded. “I started when I was your age, maybe a little younger. Eirika thought it was silly, and would even tease me about it sometimes. I stopped shortly after I picked up the lance, deciding to put all my time into that.” He brought the rock he was holding closer now, where both he and Inigo could examine it together. “How long have you been doing this?” 

“Since spring.” The boy answered, eyes widening as he moved his head around to look over the rock. “But I can’t go looking for them outside with all the snow…” 

“Agh, I know. That’s part of what made winters so boring. I always wished the snow would just melt away so I could go exploring for more.” 

“Where did you find this one?” He asked, looking up to Ephraim. “I like how smooth it is… it even sparkles a little!” 

“I got this one while Eirika and I were visiting Grado once.” He had an almost solemn smile on his face now. “I brought one of our friends out with me to go play. We explored the forest just outside of the castle, and he found this rock in the stream... He actually fell in while trying to get it.” 

“Was he okay? He didn’t get hurt?” 

“He was fine, the water wasn’t very deep. It was more funny than worrying, really. But when I pulled him out to ask if he was okay, he handed me this rock before even saying ‘Thank you’.” Ephraim sighed, turning the rock over in his fingers. "You remind me of how he was back then, in some ways." 

"I do?" Inigo asked while tilting his head slightly. "What was he like?"

"He was… very kind and sweet, just like you." Ephraim now handed the rock to Inigo who held it in his hands, his attention now focused on it. He chuckled while tousling his sons hair, amused at just how entranced he was by the stone. "Though he wasn't nearly as energetic as you, that's for certain." 

Inigo was quiet for a few moments now, turning the rock over in his hands several times before looking back up to his father.

"Can Myrrh and I meet him someday?" The boy asked excitedly. "Can we go where he lived? Maybe they have more rocks like this there!"

His smile dropped, as did his gaze. Ephraim wasn't sure how to answer this, exactly. Surely he couldn't tell Inigo the truth of what had happened those many years ago, not while he was so young, at least. 

"Maybe." He answered after a bout of silence. "But never mind all that. For now, let's get these rocks put away, what would your mother say if she came in and saw your room like this?" 

"She'd call it a mess…" Inigo said, finally getting up from Ephraim's lap. "She might get angry."

"I don't know about angry, but let's not wait around to see. Now, get to work."

The boy would start the process, getting down on his knees to start picking up, but instead sat there for a few moments, thinking a bit before speaking again.

“Father… y-you won’t tell anyone about this, will you?” Inigo finally asked, lifting his head up. “About the rocks?” 

“Do you not want me to?” He said while grabbing the empty box and setting it on his lap where Inigo had just been. “Why did you feel the need to keep this a secret in the first place?” 

“I… showed Severa when they came to visit… she made fun of me.” He admitted, clearly embarrassed about it. “She told me only weirdos do this… So I didn’t want to show anyone. Only Myrrh knows.”

“That sounds like her. No doubt Innes told her about me having the same habit as a child…” He shook his head, reaching down to grab a stone and put it away. “Don’t listen to her. She’s a lot like her father, she sometimes says things she doesn’t really mean. Now come on, the sooner we get this picked up, the sooner I can show you where another old box just like this one is hidden.” 

Inigos eyes lit up at the prospect, quickly nodding as he started cleaning up.


End file.
